Some motor-driven vehicles, e.g. motor-driven wheelchairs, have an electrical braking apparatus in addition to a mechanical braking apparatus. One example of electrical braking apparatus is shown in Japanese Examined UM Publication No. SHO 61-5841 published on Feb. 22, 1986. The braking apparatus shown in this UM publication detects when manual driving force is removed from a vehicle maneuvering section of the wheelchair, and starts braking. In the initial stage of the braking, the braking apparatus connects a resistor across the motor so as to provide gentle dynamic braking, and, then, directly short-circuits the motor when the voltage generated by the motor decreases.
The initial braking force of this braking apparatus is dependent on the speed at which the wheelchair is running when it is to be braked because the braking force is controlled by the resistor. Accordingly, even with a resistor having a relatively large resistance employed, a large braking force is abruptly applied to the wheelchair if the vehicle is running at a relatively high speed, so that a shock is given to the motor-driven wheelchair. Such a shock may jeopardize a person on the wheelchair, or may cause the vehicle maneuvering section to be erroneously operated to thereby disturb the behavior of the wheelchair.
An object of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus for a motor-driven vehicle with a braking apparatus. The control apparatus controls the braking apparatus such that it does not give a shock to the vehicle at the beginning of the braking of the vehicle.